Measuring cup closures are well known in the art. They are broadly used on liquid laundry detergent bottles. These measuring cup closures have a volume in many instances sufficient for a normal load of wash. Larger loads may require two doses. However, there is the convenience that when a supply of liquid detergent is purchased, there will be an accompanying measuring cup which will be part of the closure. The consumer need not retain a measuring cup for this purpose. However, it is not known to provide such a closure with bristles depending from a lower surface so that the closure besides being usable as a measuring cup also can be used as an applicator for detergent used as a pre-spot substance.
In the prior art, there are shown measuring cup closures and the combination of brush bristles as a part of a closure. These will be depending downward from the inner surface of the closure but there are no disclosures of measuring cup closures which also contain bristles. Illustrative of measuring cup closures are U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,268 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,560. Each of these patents discloses a closure for a detergent bottle which also is a measuring cup. U.S. Pat. No. 586,283; 2,633,845 and 2,639,658 disclose the state-of-the-art where a brush depends from the inner surface of a closure. In U.S. Pat. No. 586,283, the cap B has as a part the brush handle b.sup.3 which has brush bristles .sub.b 4 on the lower end. The brush bristles will apply the substance from tube A. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,845, there is disclosed a closure with conical bristles formed on this closure. The conical bristles can be of the same or varying stiffness. U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,658 discloses a closure for a butter container where the closure carries a bristle retaining insert. This bristle retaining insert is removable from the closure for cleaning or replacement.
There are containers where a brush application is on the exterior surface of a closure. In such an instance the brush would have to be washed and dried prior to putting it back onto the closure. If the brush is not washed and dried the closure and bottle will become coated with the product in the container. It is shown by the prior art that it has been known to use a measuring cup as a closure. Also, it is known to have brush bristles on the inner surface of a closure. However, it is not known to use the closure of a bottle, and in particular a detergent bottle, as a measuring cup and also as a brush by having bristles depending from the edge of the open end of the measuring cup. This is very useful since new liquid detergents have a concentration about that of pre-spot compositions. By having the closure of a new super concentrated detergent function as the measuring cup for dosing the detergent and as the brush for applying the detergent to a spot, there is an increased utility of the closure.